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Saturday, July 18, 2015

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood (Lowell, MA 7/17/15)

"let the CRB... set you free"

There's not much that beats an outdoor concert on a mid-July night. And what better band to set a good vibes mood on this warm but breezy and comfortable evening than The Chris Robinson Brotherhood. Having seen MANY concerts at Boarding House Park in Lowell, MA over the years, I was very excited to see what the Brotherhood would bring to the stage.

To its seasoned patrons, BHP is a unique venue in the way that most of the crowd stays seated for the bulk of the performance most nights. The CRB put this venue to the test - and only a few songs in had most of the crowd on their feet. If you're lucky enough to catch CRB live, don't expect to hear any Black Crowes tunes, or any mention of the band. What you can expect is a group of musicians who effortlessly and tightly play a well orchestrated mix of psychedelic-jam band-blues-rock-soul-funk-music. There is no denying the talent in the group, or their very apparent love of playing to the crowd.

The night was broken into two sets, totaling about a three hour journey into multiple genres of music. The pair of songs that got people on their feet in the first set were the back-to-back fan favorites Shore Power and Rosalee to finish off set one. The night was a roller coaster of music, shifting through jam band melodies and rocking tunes as CRB went through their catalog of music playing songs from their albums Big Moon Ritual, The Magic Door, and their newest, Phosphorescent Harvest.

Some highlights in the second set included Badlands Here We Come, Tuff Mama, and Appaloosa.

The Brotherhood finished the night with some good vibes by performing the Grateful Dead tune, Catfish John, which was a good way to summarize the vibe that they brought to the stage and the crowd this evening. With the Dead's recent Fare Thee Well shows, many bands are honoring them and playing their tunes, but there's just something special about the way CRB does it. The perfect ending to a great three hours of live music.

Below are some of the pictures I was able to capture from the performance. (All photos by Chuck Kuenzler)

ALL PHOTOS on this blog are Copyright (c) 2015 Chuck Kuenzler / MyFavoriteConcerts.com and are NOT to be distributed for commercial use or used in any other way